1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental instrument for scraping plaque from teeth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Proper dental hygiene requires periodic dental cleaning by a professional dental hygienist to scrape plaque from an individual's teeth. Plaque has been implicated in the development of gum disease which is the leading cause of tooth loss. It is not economically feasible for most people to have their teeth professionally cleaned as frequently as necessary to ensure the best oral health. Further, it may be inconvenient for most people to have their teeth cleaned professionally as frequently as necessary because of the time consumed by the cleaning itself, the time consumed in transit to the hygienists office, and the limited hours during which the hygienist is available. An instrument that can be used by the non-professional to clean his or her teeth at home and at their convenience, would therefore be highly desirable. Such an instrument would allow for the more frequent scraping of plaque from the teeth thus resulting in reduced plaque formation between professional cleanings, which in turn leads to shorter visits at the hygienist with an attendant reduction in the difficulty faced by the hygienist in removing the plaque buildup. Instruments that allow an individual to scrape plaque from his or her teeth have been proposed in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,220,933, issued to Thomas F. Bates on Mar. 27, 1917, shows an instrument for scraping plaque from teeth. The scaling tip of the instrument is bent at three points and terminates in a cutting point. Bates does not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,503,610, issued to Robert B. Smith on Aug. 5, 1924, shows a dental tool for removing tartar from the teeth. The tool of Smith has a hook-shaped cleaning instrument at one end and a straight cleaning instrument at the other end. However, the cleaning instruments of Smith have semicircular chisel-shaped scraping portions, unlike the present invention which has pointed scraping tips. Further, the curved pick of the present invention does not curve nearly as far as the hook-shaped cleaning instrument of Smith, thus the curved pick of the present invention allows scraping the inner side of the teeth with less outward pulling on the teeth and also the curved pick of the present invention allows for a more positive control of the scraping tip when scraping the inner side of teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,902, issued to Per A. T. Axelsson on May 9, 1972, shows a dental hygiene instrument having a handle and a flexible plastic, wedge-like, pointed insert for cleaning in between the teeth. Axelsson does not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,147, issued to Craig M. Ricketts et al. on Oct. 12, 1976, shows a dental instrument for removing plaque from teeth. The instrument of Ricketts et al. has an elongated handle with an abrasive disk insert at one end, and a combination pick and hoe scraper at the other end. Ricketts et al. do not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,934, issued to Hassan P. A. Salam on May 22, 1984, shows an instrument for cleaning teeth including a tapered plastic blade attached to a handle. The blade has a blunt apex and is folded along a line stretching from the base of the blade to the apex of the blade. The line extending from the base of the blade to the apex of the blade is inclined relative to the handle. Salam does not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,678, issued to Bror A. E. Andersson on Mar. 19, 1985, shows a double ended instrument for removing tartar. Each working end has an oval opening, with the edges of the openings being used for scraping. Andersson does not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,595, issued to Leroy Selvidge on Jun. 11, 1985, shows an instrument for cleaning between the teeth. The tool includes an elongated shank with a resilient pear-shaped tip. The shank is intended for attachment to a toothbrush handle. Unlike the current invention, Selvidge's invention does not scrape away tartar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,344, issued to Charles A. Brewer, Jr. on Jan. 3, 1989, shows an instrument for removing plaque and calculus from the anchor cylinders of dental prostheses. The instrument has semicircular scraping heads with teeth or ridges on the inside of the head. The head is shaped to fit around the anchor cylinder of the prostheses. Brewer, Jr. invented a tool having an ideal shape for cleaning prostheses, unlike the current invention, which has a shape suited to clean natural teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,390, issued to Richard J. Lazzara et al. on Sep. 14, 1993, shows an instrument for scraping scale from artificial dentures. The instrument is made from brass coated with gold, and has a rounded surface at its tip. Lazzara's invention is intended to clean titanium without scratching it. Lazzara et al. do not show a dental instrument having both a curved pick and a straight pick.
Dentists commonly use a tool called an explorer to check for cavities. An explorer has an elongated handle with a hook on one end. The hook bends away from the handle's longitudinal axis, and then bends back towards it. A tangent line to the hook at the end is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Explorers do not have picks designed to clean teeth, and are much too large for a person to use on oneself, unlike the current invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.